Bionic eye gives blind woman sight

Australian researchers have announced a significant breakthrough in restoring some form of sight to blind patients such as spots of black and white light.

Dianne Ashworth, who has severe vision loss due to the inherited condition retinitis pigmentosa, has been fitted with a prototype bionic eye.

The device was designed, built and tested by scientists as the Australian Bionics Institute.

"It was really funny when it switched (on)," Ashworth said. "I didn't know what to expect and I don't know if anyone did know what I was going to see and then all of a sudden I went 'yep' I could see a little flash," she added. "When the first bigger image came I just went 'wow,' because I just didn't expect it at all but it was amazing."

The bionic eye is equipped with 24 electrodes with a small lead wire that extends from the back of the eye to a receptor attached behind her ear.